Washington Post: Labor-Environmental Coalition Targets Wal-Mart

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/01/AR2009090103185.html

By Ylan Q. Mui
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 1, 2009; 7:11 PM

Labor groups renewed their campaign against Wal-Mart on Tuesday, launching a new coalition that called for improvements in the company's wages, health care, and environmental and labor policies.

Unions have long sparred with the world's largest retailer over these issues, and Wal-Mart has amended some of its practices amid a barrage of criticism -- even working alongside labor groups at times. But the United Food and Commercial Workers, which is leading the charge, said Tuesday that it considered those efforts incremental.

"We want to see some real change," said Patrick J. O'Neill, international vice president of the union. "We're trying to have a positive effect with Wal-Mart and with the communities."

One key issue on which the two groups remain polarized is organizing store employees. Wal-Mart, along with other retailers and industry groups, opposes the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that contains a provision known as "card check," which would allow workers to form unions without a secret-ballot election. The measure has been a priority for labor activists but has been put on hold while the debate over health care rages on Capitol Hill.

The UFCW has produced two commercials that began airing Tuesday in key union strongholds such as Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston that criticize Wal-Mart's spending on health care. The ads are titled "Common Sense Economics" and liken the number of Wal-Mart employees who use government health care to a bailout for the retailer.

"A corporation that makes billions in profits should not stick taxpayers with the bill for their employee benefits," one of the commercials states.

FULL story at link.

[imdjh]

1. Are Walmart employees worth union wages?

I know people don't like such harsh terms, but it's reality. R E A L I T Y .... that wages are supposed to correspond with worth of work.

When I think of union employees, I think of men and women in proper dress or uniforms, who show up on time for work, who do their job to the letter and then some, and who are proud of their labor and their labor organization.

Now, I know some folks think that unionizing Walmart's labor force might transform them all into union quality workers, and of course I don't want to be thought to be saying that ALL Walmart's workers are substandard, but a substantial percentage of their workers are substandard.

Won't a union contract with Walmart lead to a huge turnover at Walmart as quality employees seek and win quality jobs while the slackers get a pink slip?

[IDFbunny]

2. How has Walmart managed to stave off unions this far? nt

[imdjh]

3. What do all these addresses have in common?

We found 17 stores near 94116 :
1. Oakland, CA 94621
2. San Leandro, CA 94577
3. Richmond, CA 94806
4. San Leandro, CA 94579
5. Union City, CA 94587
6. Martinez, CA 94553
7. Mountain View, CA 94040
8. Fremont, CA 94538
9. Pleasanton, CA 94588
10. American Canyon, CA 94503
11. Fremont, CA 94539
12. Milpitas, CA 95035
13. Pittsburg, CA 94565
14. Livermore, CA 94550
15. Napa, CA 94559
16. Fairfield, CA 94534
17. Rohnert Park, CA 94928